Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many different cultures. The purposes have changed over time to fit in with the current lifestyles. This pattern is also true in American history. The use of marijuana has adapted to the social climate of the time. Marijuana, whose scientific name is cannibis sativa, was mentioned in historical manuscripts as early as 2700 B. C. in China. (Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia, 1995). The cultivation of the marijuana plant began as far back as the Jamestown settlers, around 1611, who used hemp produced from the marijuana plant's fibers to make rope and canvas. It was also used in making clothing because of it's durability. These uses fit in with the social climate of the time, because the main focus was on survival rather than for psychoactive purposes. During the prohibition, marijuana was widely used because of the scarcity of alcohol. Prohibition was repealed after just thirteen years while the prohibition against marijuana lasted for more than seventy five years.

Haught Street Obama "Yes We Cannabis" Poster

Day 46 - West Midlands Police - Cannabis Drugs Rai...

Medical marijuana dispensary on Ventura Boulevard ...

This double standard may have resulted from the wishes of those in power. Alcohol prohibition struck directly at tens of millions of Americans of all ages, including many of societies most powerful members. Marijuana prohibition threatened far fewer Americans, and they had relatively little influence in the districts of power. Only the prohibition of marijuana, which some sixty million Americans have violated since 1965 has come close to approximating the prohibition experience, but marijuana smokers consist mostly of young and relatively powerless Americans (American Heritage, pg 47). Alcohol prohibition was repealed and marijuana prohibition was retained, not because scientists had proved that alcohol was the less dangerous of the various psychoactive drugs, but because of the prejudices and preferences of most Americans (American Heritage, pg 47). In 1937 the government issued the...

More Drugs essays:

... medical profession has found several applications for the marijuana plant. The medicine, tetrahydrocannabinol, otherwise known as THC, (the active ingredient in marijuana) has been found again and again to help patients battling the life-threatening diseases of ...

... Marijuana (known as Hemp) was the primary source of fiber for the production of paper. The United States Constitution is printed on Pot. With today's technologies this fiber can be processed into construction materials that would replace wood products saving our forests and lowering the costs of ...

... of the dangers of marijuana is asthma. Some people are allergic to cannabis pollen, resulting in asthma, or inflammation of the nose. In a test that was given in Nebraska, 122 people were given skin tests for cannabis pollen, and other ragweed allergens. Forty-eight of ...

... year in high school. I broke up with Laura and went off to college at Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, New Hampshire, unfortunately Laura went to Keene State in Keene, New Hampshire twenty minutes away from Franklin Pierce. I kept doing coke throughout my first year ...

4 pages55Oct/20033.0

Students & Profs. say about us:

"Good news: you can turn to other's writing help. WriteWork has over 100,000 sample papers"